“Would You Rather Have it be Accurate or Diverse?” How Male Middle-School Students Make Sense of Algorithm Bias

Authors

Golnaz Arastoopour Irgens, Clemson UniversityFollow
JaCoya Thompson, Northwestern University

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

6-2020

Publication Title

ISLS Proceedings

Publisher

International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS)

DOI

https://doi.dx.org/10.22318/icls2020.751

Abstract

As data-driven decisions become more ubiquitous, it will be critical for youth to understand the impacts of algorithm bias. In this study, we discuss the design of an extra-curricular data science program and examined how the participants (12 males, ages 11 - 13) made sense of algorithm bias and discrimination. We conducted a critical discourse analysis on one classroom discussion. Results suggest that participants showed initial understandings that algorithms contain biases that may perpetuate discrimination.

Recommended Citation

Irgens, G. A. & Thompson, J. (2020). “Would You Rather Have it be Accurate or Diverse?” How Male Middle-School Students Make Sense of Algorithm Bias. In Gresalfi, M. and Horn, I. S. (Eds.), The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020, Volume 2 (pp. 751-752). Nashville, Tennessee: International Society of the Learning Sciences.